1. Field
The present application relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing program applied to an observing apparatus of incubating cells or the like. In addition, the present application relates to an observing system comprising an observing apparatus and an image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to observe temporal change of incubating cells, time-lapse shooting (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-220904, etc.) is effective, which performs shooting multiple times at a constant time interval. Additionally, in order to observe the situation along the depth direction of the incubating cells, Z-stack shooting (see Patent Document 2: WO 2003/073365, etc.) is effective, which performs shooting multiple times while displacing the focal plane of the objective lens along the optical axis direction (z-direction).
By performing shooting in a combined manner of the both (Z-stack time-lapse shooting), failed capturing of an image can be prevented even if a specimen of the user's interest (e.g., specific organelle) is displaced along the depth direction in the course of shooting.
Typically, slice image groups acquired in respective rounds of shooting are taken into a computer. The computer allows the user to select slice images which are in focus with the specimen of the user's interest, one by one from slice image groups of respective rounds. By concatenating the selected slice images in the order of rounds, a movie image file for tracking observation of the specimen can also be acquired.
However, the above-mentioned task of the user is very burdensome. For example, if the stack number is 30, the user needs to compare 30 slice images, and the user needs to repeat the comparison 100 times if the round number is 100.
Therefore, it is a proposition of the present application to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing program which can reduce the user's burden when performing tracking observation of the specimen. In addition, it is also a proposition to provide a user friendly observing system.